Johanna Hurwitz

For ages 8 and up Anne Frank loved to play tennis and swim. She enjoyed being with her friends in school and couldn't resist chattering during class. But, tragically, Anne was growing up in Holland during the Second World War, when all European Jews lived in grave danger. When Dutch Jews were forced to leave their homes, Anne and her family found a hiding place.Anne kept a diary in which she described the two years of their secret life. After the war ended, the diary was found and published. Her innocent account of the horrors of war was widely read, and it touched readers all over the world. This biography tells about Anne's family and their lives before the Second World War, the Nazi persecution of Jews, and Anne's years in hiding.Johanna Hurwitz's readable, direct style enables young readers to share Anne's childhood dreams and to feel the tension of the years that followed. The realistic black-and-white drawings by Vera Rosenberry bring Anne Frank even closer to readers' hearts.

Eight-year-old David Bernstein discovers life is much more exciting when he calls himself Ali Baba Bernstein. Only Ali Baba would have dared to grab the class snail and escape to the boys' room for his own magic experiment. David would never have invited every David Bernstein in the phone book to his birthday party -- or find himself hailed as a great detective -- or discover adventures and misadventures everywhere he went. But Ali Baba Bernstein does

"Opens the door to an unusual confluence of worlds, with cats, people, and Jewish identity all intersecting." --The Jewish Book CouncilFourth-grader Chaya Ann Tober loves cats. Even her initials, C.A.T., are perfect for her!She feels so cat-like herself that when her actual cat Ollie, a very picky eater, refuses to eat a mysterious new kind of cat food, she tries to encourage him by tasting a tiny bit of it herself (and finds it, surprisingly, not awful.) That night Chaya has the craziest dream--she dreams she really has become a cat, one with orange fur, the exact color of her own hair. Or is it a dream?Join in the adventures as C.A.T. and her annoying older brother Daniel use some magical food to become cats, prowl their neighborhood at night, prevent a cat-astrophe, and see each other in a whole new light. A purr-fect chapter book for middle grade readers (ages 8-12) who like animals and fantasy adventure, even if they are pickier eaters than C.A.T.

"No matter the predicament, Hurwitz interjects both humor and warmth. Accompanied by illustrations as playful as Arlene and Ilene, this chapter book is a t-winning choice." -- Kirkus ReviewsSecond-graders Arlene and Ilene Kelly are twins -- identical twins to be exact -- and they love being a pair. But being a twin is not always easy. When a set of triplets comes to school, Arlene and Ilene wonder whether triplets are more special than twins. And when Arlene gets sick and has to visit the hospital, the twins each find out what it's like to be one instead of two. But whether they're together or apart, Arlene and Ilene know they're lucky to have each other.

All Curtis wants is a dog.At the animal shelter, Curtis falls in love with Sammy, a friendly puppy with curly black fur, floppy ears, a wagging tail, and perfect white teeth. He's the best dog in the whole world.At home, things are different-Sammy steals food and chews sneakers and toys-but Curtis loves him anyway. Then Sammy bites Curtis's mom, and Curtis has to face the fact that Sammy's not perfect after all.Will Curtis have to give Sammy up? Or will he do whatever it takes to keep his dog?

Ezra Feldman, almost ten, likes baseball more than anything else in the world. But his father cannot understand why his son would rather rot his brains watching men swinging big wooden sticks than read a book or play chess. Can an unwanted car trip, a grumpy old professor, and a surprising chess victory help father and son find a little common ground—and convince Ezra's dad that cheering for the national pastime isn't completely off base?